


B-11

by WaltzQueen



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Gen, Octarian soceity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 07:06:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14995472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaltzQueen/pseuds/WaltzQueen
Summary: So principled you might explode,But when you burst, who's really cursed?Your loved ones have to bear that load.What agent 8 remembers when she holds her memcake.





	B-11

The harsh cry of "Seventeen!" rang out into the collective of attentive cadets.

  
The Octoling assigned the number plate seventeen promptly made her way to the front of the neatly arranged crowd. "Yes, Octozoness Staminoka" She clicked the heels of her boots together, straight backed and at the ready. Her grip on her Octoshot Jr was ironclad.

  
Seventeen didnt let herself show fear as Octozoness Staminoka looked down at her. Fear was for civillians. Seventeen very carefully did not jolt when Octozoness Staminoka called out "Twenty Six!"

  
Twenty Six replied just like she had and stood next to her. She could see the curl of his hair out of the corner of her eye.

  
Seventeen was already feeling bad about this. Twenty six was well known as the most notable disappointment in their platoon. Spawned from one of the highest ranking Kelp Guard Octozoness, Twenty six failed to live up to his mother's legacy in any way. While not awful enough to be sheared for parts or be demoted to Scavenger his complete averageness was a shackle around his tentacles from day one. Instructors and Colonels alike looked to him with nothing but disdain and comments about wasted potential. Her being up here next to Twenty Six could mean very little good.

"About face!" Seventeen turned in place, leading with her gun and body following behind, form as water tight as a residence dome. Dozens of darkened eyes looked past her, to Octozoness Staminoka, who was now at her back. Not one pair of boots fidgeted as they stood on the cold metal of the training grounds. Behind them Seventeen could see their technician as she flipped switches and generally deactivated their idle training simulations from her elevated perch..

"Cadets, observe these two octarians! Seventeen and Twenty six have scored how many points today, Seven?" Seven, more petite than her fellows, stepped forward.

"Seventeen scored thirty one on precision, ten endurance, and nine agility. Twenty six scored twelve on precision, twenty on endurance, and eighteen agility. They both scored a total of fifty, Octozoness Staminoka." Seven moved back into formation with the dismissive wave of Staminoka's hand.

"Correct, Seven, both of these cadets have scored a total of fifty.  Showing how soldiers of the same rank exhibit different skills,independent of genetics." Seventeen looked down, away from Twenty Six, who was surely feeling the sting of that comment. The rubber of Staminoka's boots made a dull clunk as she paced behind them. "Do not, however, mistake them for being equals in a fire fight! Twenty six excels at not being hit, where Seventeen shows higher lethality levels by far."

"Seventeen and Twenty Six will now test their specialties against each other. Begin."

The spar was long and drawn out. Twenty six managed to get some hits in on her, but never enough to so damage that wasn't regenerated. in contrast Seventeen's shots had Twenty Six on the run from the get-go. He dodged nimbly and then clumsily as his stamina waned. Nearly five minutes in, Seventeen had him surrounded by her ink and absolutely exhausted. She aimed and fired, coating his legs in ink. The match drew to a close with Twenty Six almost completely immobilized. Seventeen did not yet help Twenty Six up. Staminoka and the other instructors had drilled it into them that the battle was not over until they declared it over. All but done with, Seventeen waited for the word to end the spar and return to parade rest. What she got was something else entirely.

"Now, Seventeen, finish him."

Seventeen almost dropped her weapon when it set in what she was hearing. Her eyes met Twenty Six's.  She had seen that expression before in films about the Great turf War on octolings that knew they weren't coming back. Being splattered without engaging the respawn was a coin flip of survival. The respawn had been off for fifteen minutes,he could permanently be killed.

A quick understanding flashed between them in that moment. He wasn't surprised, not at all. He didn't expect to go home today. How could he just close his eyes when his potential death was standing in front of him? How could anyone stand for this?

"No!" Seventeen dropped her Octoshot Jr. and turned away from Twenty Six.

"Seventeen, that was an order! Or do you have a problem with that, Cadet?"

"Octarians should be protecting other Octarians. Harming Twenty Six will only make it more difficult to keep a solid platoon together. I won't do it." Seventeen stood tall in her defiance. Octozoness Staminoka looked down at her silently for a long moment.

"Captain Yaki, enable spawn point and clock Seventeen." 

Seventeen heard the quiet "Affirmative Octozoness Staminoka" clearly in the tense silence of the training grounds. The hissing whir of the respawn began somewhere behind her. She looked Staminoka in the face as the older Octoling smartly stomped on the edge of her discorded Octoshot Jr. sending it flying up and into her adult hands.

"If you're so intent on protecting Twenty Six, seventeen, then you had better be sure you're willing and ready to carry that burden." Seventeen stood there, ready to burst with fury. "Fine, then." Staminoka tossed the weapon back to Seventeen who caught it reflexively. "Capitan Yaki engage respawn on Seventeen. Do not engage on Twenty Six. Begin simulation two-seven-zero."

Seventeen helped Twenty Six to his feet as false palm trees sprung into being around them. The rest of the platoon was unseen, on the outside of the simulation. Technician Yaki's voice filtered in from the outside of the simulation. "You have ten minutes, cadets." Staminoka walked forward, Octoshot in hand to stand before them as Capt. Yaki said "Begin."

  
~~~~~~~~OE~~~~~~~~~~

  
"Mantille, I've had a report sent to me from the Admiral." 

Mantille did not respond, willing to let this happen without defending herself. They both knew what was coming and they both knew that what was happening was her fault. Fighting against it was pointless.  
She shrugged, still feeling the static jolt of respawn tingling over her body. One of her tentacles refused to transform all the way, leaving her to limp home, carrying one boot in her hand, and it was still not cooperating half an hour later. She sat leaning against the wall as her father looked at her with something akin to despair.

"Mantille, You can't keep doing this. I'm barely still the supervisor for the Scavenging department as it is. If i get demoted to scavenger because of this, we won't have a place to live anymore. You know, this. I know you know this. So just..."

Mantille looked away, she didn't want to see him look like that anymore. The silence dragged on until he sighed and left the room. She crossed her arms ad let her head thunk against the wall. She could have told him about how it was unjust. She should have told him what could have happened to Twenty Six. All of that didn't matter though. All that mattered was doing what you were told.  
  



End file.
